Alternative exercise...

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Woodsmoke
Woodsmoke Posts: 360 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Aerobics is a long way off for me, I can't stand it, but I will try it once I've got down about 50lbs (I am very large).

I feel stupid when I exercise, I bought an Urban Dance Workout DVD and ended up giving up because I can't follow dvds and felt so damn stupid.

So dancing is out, and weights and aerobics, pilates, yoga, anything like that I just can't do.

The weather is heating up now, and I get very embarrassed about going outside.

Please, any ideas for a really big person who needs to lose weight BADLY?

(Don't be fooled- that photo was taken a long time ago!)

Replies

  • shells1234
    shells1234 Posts: 64 Member
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    I don't like DVD to much either I get distracted easily. I love to walk are you sure you won't go out sunshine is good for the soul!! I also fold my laundry standing up, turn on some music and shake it while I'm doing the dishes I don't have a dishwasher. Any little moment more than what you are doing now will add up!!
  • hannakengu
    hannakengu Posts: 79 Member
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    I read a novel/autobiography/journal called "the amazing adventures of dietgirl", which is basically a weight loss diary of a morbidly obese girl losing weight. She develops a "vampire method" for herself since she is also extremely embarrassed about going out and excercising. She goes for a walk either very early in the morning when everybody else is sleeping, or late at night when there's almost nobody there anymore.

    You could also benefit from things like parking your car to the absolutely farthest parking spot available and then walking the rest of the distance to wherever you're going, doing your grocery shopping so that you have to walk around the store a lot instead of just going the shortest possible route.

    Even though I was never really obese (or "very large" as you called yourself, or anything like that), I used to feel really embarrassed when I worked out as well - a girl my size and age should do much better! It still affects me sometimes, like I choose a jogging route where I'm less likely to run into somebody I know, but I promise you this: keep up with whatever excercise you're doing for a few weeks, pay attention to your speed, distance, duration etc., and soon you'll be getting those proud moments where you notice you walked the longest you've ever walked, did the harder version of that dvd move, got done with your walking route faster than before... Those proud moments will be stronger than the embarrassment, and then you'll just want to go on to get more of those. Plus, if you feel too embarrassed to work out/think somebody's laughing at you/whatever your insecurity may be, think about all those peope's faces when a year from today you've lost a s**tload of weight doing what you're doing.
  • caranais
    caranais Posts: 101 Member
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    I understand how you're feeling, Shells is right - sunshine is great for lifting the mood, but if you live where I do - it's also very rare to see the sun I'm afraid, but there are other ways to exercise without going outside if you're not confident enough for that yet. Starting is the hardest part. (well keeping at it isn't easy either), but you need to be in the right frame of mind. I decided this week to bite the bullet again and just start doing something. I'm so fed up of looking and feeling the way I do, and after bout of illness that slowed me down completely, found it hard to get motivated again, so this weeek have decided that whilst other people might sympathise, and be encouraging, I am the only one that can help me. So why don't you try just getting up and walking around your room. (I walk as many steps as I can say while the kettle boils), then it might be how many steps I can take during the ad breaks on tv, I find the more I do the more I want to do. Then try just putting on some feel good music - there are some songs you just can't help moving to - even if it's only a few side steps, then a few shimmies - it's amazing how soon you'lll want to do it again as the endorphins start to kick in. I've downloaded as many feel good songs as I can one after the other, and just as I think that's enough, another great song will come on and I think I'll just dance to this one then, and so on. Don't feel a fool, no-one else can see you, no-one is going to reprimand you for not doing it right - just move your body it'll thank you for it, and which is worse - feeliing depressed and sad at the way you look, or doing something about it and getting a much better mood and outlook from just a few minutes of "feeling a fool"? Don't be hard on yourself at first and remember any movement is better than none.

    I've just re-read this before posting and sorry it's a little long winded - but actually writing this down has helped me aswell - I think I'll take my own advice a little more seriously - and next time I'm just too tired or just can't be bothered today, I'll re-read it - or simpler - just turn on the music and move! Good luck we can do this you know xxx

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